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  • Back to School Transitions
    August 7, 2018

    Back to School Transitions

    Wondering how to get your child ready for school this fall?

    As a parent, you know your own child. You know how he or she copes with transitions.

    Whether this is your first year of school or your child is going into 5th grade, some children struggle with the end of summer and the start of the school year.

    At times, schools offer camps or activities toward the end of the summer that take place at school. These opportunities can be helpful ways to gradually transition your child back to the school setting.

    In the absence of camps or sports activities that get a child back into school, consider other ways to support your child in the weeks leading up to school starting.

    First, think about bedtime, wake time, and lunchtime.

    Summer schedules change as children attend camp, go on vacation, go to the pool or stay up late to watch those summer action movies.

    Try to set up a consistent schedule that closely matches your school schedule.

    Gradually ease your child or children back into a regular routine so that they are not shocked when school requires earlier mornings and rules around snack and lunchtime.

    Next, take advantage of any opportunity to introduce your child to his or her new teacher in advance. Preferably, find a quiet time to meet the teacher, see the classroom and even find his or her seat or cubby can help a lot.

    Give your child a chance to see the structure and expectations, read any classroom rules or see the daily schedule.

    Allow your child to tell the teacher about interests, favorite classes, etc. Even 15 minutes to get a glimpse into the school year may help your child get off to the right start.

    While not every child in the class may have such an opportunity, request this brief meeting if you know your child struggles with transitions back to school.

    Every teacher wants to get the year off to a good start. Your child’s teacher should be open to meeting him or her in advance to improve the probability of a successful first day.

    Usually, schools are happy to accommodate you on a teacher training and set up day.

    Finally, try to plan some play dates with school friends in the weeks leading up to the transition. See if you can find out who is in your child’s class.

    Otherwise, meeting with students in and around your child’s grade level, even to play on the school playground, if accessible, can help your child turn his or her focus back to the fun aspects of school and things to look forward to in the new school year.

    Sometimes, difficulty with transitions can be related to general flexibility. Parents might find this article helpful to learn more about helping your child be flexible. https://cleape.com/organizing/flexibility/

    If you continue to have concerns for your child, call CLEAR Child Psychology to schedule a consultation.

    We hope your child has a smooth transition and a great school year!

     
  • How www.cleape.com Can Help Educators
    July 31, 2018

    How www.cleape.com Can Help Educators

    What is CLEAPE?

    Cleape, Knowing What’s the Matter, is a free tool developed to help parents and educators understand a child’s learning needs.

    Developed by clinicians who have worked in schools and who have expertise in areas like school psychology, speech and language pathology, behavioral analysis and occupational therapy, CLEAPE helps parents and educators collaborate and address learning needs.

    What will I find on CLEAPE?

    www.cleape.com has 99 articles on specific concerns a teacher or parent may have for a child. All the articles are free. Each article contains research-based tips and strategies an educator can try in the “What to do” section.

    CLEAPE provides references at the end of each article with up-to-date research.

    References also include books and resources a teacher could use and share with a family or parent to help meet the learning needs of a child.

    Why was CLEAPE developed?

    The MTSS (Multi-tiered Support System) process can feel daunting, which is why CLEAR Child Psychology offers this free resource to encourage collaboration and the use of research-based strategies to meet the needs of a child.

    Reliable information at your fingertips to meet professional requirements

    As classroom teachers know, when parents and/or teachers have concerns for a child, they are required to implement interventions in the classroom that are research-based to address a specific learning need.

    Teachers are required to progress monitor to see if interventions are helpful and to determine if additional supports like a Section 504 Plan or an Individualized Education Program (IEP) are necessary to help a child succeed.

    Access targeted strategies, web-based interventions, and resources

    At times, parents and teachers will find that a child has needs that require a special plan or other team members like a Speech Pathologist or School Psychologist. Share https://cleape.com/professionals/ with parents.

    At other times, teachers and parents will find that a few targeted strategies make all the difference. See https://cleape.com/moving-sensing/handwriting/ for children who have sloppy handwriting. This article provides many strategies a parent and teacher can use to address this issue and help children improve their writing.

    If a child is struggling to learn to read, this article provides helpful web-based interventions and strategies to try as well as resources for parents to seek outside tutoring if reading challenges persist https://cleape.com/learning/basic-reading-skills/. We know from the research that early intervention from parents and teachers for reading leads to the best outcomes. A combination of school support and home support can help a child make faster progress.

    Sometimes a child has a few social challenges that are not evident until he or she is expected to be successful in a classroom. A teacher can provide a parent with great resources to practice social skills by providing this article https://cleape.com/socializing/parallel-play/. Social skills are another example of a skill that responds best to early intervention and strategies from parents and teachers.

    Together, we can improve student outcomes!

    We hope this free resource will lead to early interventions and better outcomes for your students. Please share www.cleape.com with your colleagues.

    Collaborations with parents can improve student outcomes. Please share www.cleape.com with parents at your school.

    Last but not least… Connect with CLEAR

    You are not alone. Be in touch with the clinicians who created www.cleape.com by visiting our sister site www.clearchildpsychology.com. We are available to provide professional development to educators, in addition to other supportive services.